Isaiah 42:8"I am the LORD; that is my name! I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols."

Jesus promised the coming of the Holy Spirit and in so doing said that the Spirit of truth will testify about Him, that is, Jesus.

John 15:26-27"When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning."

With Paul then it is our intention to exalt Jesus Christ

2 Corinthians 4:5"For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake."

He is to have the supremacy in everything.

Colossians 1:15-20"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross."

We must strive to glorify God in all of life. This, however, we realize cannot be done in our own strength. We are dependent on the work of God the Holy Spirit.

John 14:16"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth"

John 16:7-8"But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment:"

Individual believers and the gathered church must live in total dependence and surrender to God the Holy Spirit and His revealed word.

God has blessed us with His word the Scriptures. We must submit to the bible in all matters of faith and conduct as His will for us.

2 Timothy 3:16-17"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

Colossians 3:16"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God."

The ministry of God's word is the responsibility of every believer in his or her area of giftedness.

Expository preaching and teaching and relevant application into all of life will be an essential part of our ministry.

All ministries of the Church must flow out of our commitment to the ministry of the Word.

Our Motive - To Glorify God.The Means - In dependence on the Holy Spirit and submission to His Word.The Results Transforming lives in service and worship of God.

In the light of the sinful nature in man, God is at work in the life of the believer and the believer in turn is actively striving to change into the moral likeness of Christ.

There must therefore be the ongoing growth in holiness in the life of a believer.

Philippians 1:6"being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Romans 12:2"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.."

Romans 12:1"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to Godthis is your spiritual act of worship."

According to Romans 12:1, worship is the logical response to the great mercy of God living a life each day in dedication and obedience to God.

God calls us to give ourselves totally to Him. We do, however, recognize that there is a real place for corporate worship.

Corporate gatherings

The regular gathering of believers is commanded and is to be orderly and reverent.

Hebrews 10:25"Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one anotherand all the more as you see the Day approaching."

1 Corinthians 14:40"But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way."

Every church has its own particular character or style of worship. At Central, there is an accepted ethos. This has been moulded from clear biblical principles and although it is not set in concrete it should only be changed by a decision of the church.

The essential components of our Sunday services include preaching, the reading of scripture, prayer, worship in song, the Lord's supper and baptism.

Through prayer we affirm our, individual and corporate, dependence on God.

Luke 18:1"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."

Philippians 4:6"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."

Evangelism & MissionsBack to top

We are totally committed to the Great Commission given to the church by our Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 28:18-20"Then Jesus came to them and said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.' "

The picture given to us in Revelation 7:9 is a great encouragement to us showing the truth that Jesus Christ is indeed building His Church.

Revelation 7:9"After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands."

In our efforts to promote and participate in evangelism and missions it is vital to see that the gospel be proclaimed in accordance with the importance of what Paul says in:

Romans 10:17"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."

1 Corinthians 2:1-5"When I came to you, brothers, I did not come with eloquence or superior wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."

The goal of missions is to glorify God by the establishment of believers in a local church.

Showing the love of Christ within the family of God is essential. There must be individual and corporate responsibility in this matter.

Galatians 6:10"Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

The community

James 2:14-17"What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

This includes an ongoing concern to build working relationships and partnerships with like-minded believers, ministries and organisations in the work of the gospel and the furtherance of the kingdom of God.